Recall
by ForcePassioneAndKibou
Summary: A story featuring Sans having nightmares because of Gaster's lingering existence. Speech in [ ]'s means they're talking in WindDings. Gaster's regular speech is Aster font.


Night time. His bed was bare like he preferred. The room was bathed in total darkness, not that Sans liked it that way, but because he had always been too lazy to fix the flashlight inside the lamp. Eventually. he felt sleep take him from his uneasiness and into a deeper darkness.

[ **SANS** ]

A voice called out from the darkness.

[ **DO YOU RECALL?** ]

Sans tried to ignore the voice. It wasn't working.

[ **I WANT…TO RECALL…PLEASE.** ]

Why did it have to be his turn? Why couldn't some other Sans take the job? He hated it. He hated squirming and never being able to slip away.

[ **SANS.** ]

Sans was launched from the deep darkness into memory.

"[Dad, what's a funny bone]?" Asked Sans inquisitively with a book in front of him. It was a joke book Gaster had gotten him for his birthday. The little skeleton hadn't become bored of reading and rereading it yet. Gaster reasoned Sans wouldn't stop until he understood every joke written inside. The little one was a tenacious learner which made him smile more often than not.

"[Think of it as…a way to describe a monster's sense of humor.]"

"[Sense of humor?]"

"[What they think is something to laugh at.]"

Sans looked back down at the book the grin on his face becoming a frown as he tried to comprehend. It would be a while before he fully understood the jokes inside.

Gaster smiled and continued working on the calculations of his newest experiment. A few beeps later and the machine hummed to life, and inside the tube of liquid a floating form began to take shape.

The activity caught Sans's attention and he looked up from the tile floor.

"[Dad?]"

"[Don't worry. In a few days you'll have a baby brother.]"

"[Brother?]"

Sans recoils against the recollection taking place. He doesn't want to but he's thrown into another one.

Electricity thrummed through the lights in New Home college's library. The underground had been a happier place since Gaster, the newly established royal scientist, figured out how to combine the mountain's geothermal energy and magic to create electricity. It was for this accomplishment Asgore gave him the title.

Sans walked up to the center desk and took a right heading in the direction of the meeting rooms. He passed a few monsters on the way. There was one he vaguely recognized as being a yellow monster in his class who liked to keep to herself.

Sans knew where his father would be even if Gaster himself never made it clear. In the back of his mind, he wondered what this was about. It wasn't often these days he got to see his father at home to talk. The older skeleton was always working on the projects concerning souls and energy.

"Yes, it was nice to see you as well. [Ah, Sans! How is your brother?]" Gaster waved off a few professional looking monsters as the skeleton approached the meeting room. Sans shoved a hand in one pants pocket feeling the usual awkwardness inside him that rose whenever his father asked about Papyrus. The other waited with a patient smile.

"[He's fine, but he says you better come home early tonight. Can't sleep without those bedtime stories, y'know?]"

"[I'll do my best. Now, about why I called you here.]" Gaster's face relaxed from the smile as he continued, "[Sans, you're going into college soon and, seeing as to how interested you are in science, I spoke with the staff about a work study program at my lab.]"

"[Your lab? You mean the one you got being a royal scientist?]"

The monster had two labs to work at. When Sans first heard about it he sarcastically referred to it as a joyous occassion. Of course, he only mentioned the comment when he was alone.

"[Yes! Don't you think it a wonderful opportunity?]"

Sans mulled over the idea with a frown. While it would be interesting to see his father work again it still felt weird. Everything felt weird about his life lately. For instance, Sans knew he was supposed to love his brother, but there was a disconnection. It was something he couldn't tell if his father knew or cared about knowing.

Maybe working at the lab away from Papyrus left at home would be a good idea.

Sans really hates what was coming next. He knew too much already.

"SANS? WHERE'S DAD?" The house's interior remained dark until the younger skeleton turned on a light. Sans had walked inside and sat down hard on the couch too out of it to turn any lights on.

Papyrus heard him walk in and came to investigate. Normally the two of them came as a pair and later in the day.

Sans didn't respond to the question at first. It took Papyrus going over and sitting down beside him to bring him out of his daze. **_The noise…_**

"papyrus…"

"SANS, WHERE IS DAD?"

"papyrus, Dad can't…can't come home anymore."

Silence ensued between them. Sans felt Papyrus's stare and he turned to look at him. The usual bright grin filled with determination to face the day had dimmed. It managed to tug at his heart. To think for years his father had worked with souls tirelessly to find out the soul power behind such a smile.

"Sans is Dad okay?"

"he's…Papyrus i… i promise." The word caught Papyrus's attention. His brother wasn't one for making promises even small ones.

"i promise i'll, i'll read your bedtime stories every night. enough to make up for Dad. i promise i'll protect you. that i'll…for Dad…promise i'll-"

Papyrus pulled Sans into a tight embrace causing him to stop trying to speak further. He wrapped his arms around his younger brother and came to realize how weak his arms felt. **_Watching Gaster fall and become bits…_**

Papyrus pointed out in a quiet voice that he was crying.

The memories burned Sans inside of what felt like his soul. The noise of that distorted voice began to fill up and echo around him. The voice was cutting deeper with every word. Little memories passed by in a rush of images. Magic training, studying, moving, blocking out these memories-

Sans woke up on his bare bed sweating profusely. Sensing his body's fearful state Sans could feel magic pulsating through him. This caused his eye to cast an eerie blue glow in the room that remained dark. It was dark like the abyss his father had become scattered across.

[ **I'M SORRY.** ]


End file.
